BlackBerry may be having financial issues these days, but the Canadian company is far from giving up. Taking a cue from recent Android releases and their increasingly large screens, we now have the BlackBerry Z30.

BlackBerry claims the new phone will offer improved connectivity in low signal areas, faster data speeds, and up to 25 hours of mixed use on a charge.

The Z30 runs on the newest version of BlackBerry OS – 10.2, which will work its way down to older models in mid-October. Perhaps most significantly, the update brings an improved Android App Player which will allow apps developed for Android 4.2 to be used on a BlackBerry, effectively killing off the biggest point of contention about the alternative OS and its lack of content.

The BlackBerry Z30 is expected to start shipping to the UK and the Middle East before the end of September, and to other regions closer to the holiday season. Pricing has not yet been announced and will depend on local markets.

Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today introduced the new BlackBerry® Z30 smartphone, BlackBerry’s biggest, fastest and most advanced smartphone. Featuring BlackBerry® 10 OS version 10.2, the new all-touch BlackBerry Z30 smartphone comes with a beautiful 5” display and the largest battery yet on a BlackBerry smartphone. It is designed to keep you hyper connected, productive and always in control, and lets you share like you’re there and collaborate with ease.

“The new BlackBerry Z30 smartphone builds on the solid foundation and engaging user experience of the BlackBerry 10 platform with features like the powerful BlackBerry Hub, its exceptional touchscreen keyboard and industry leading browser,” said Carlo Chiarello, Executive Vice President for Products at BlackBerry. “The smartphone rounds out the BlackBerry 10 portfolio and is designed for people looking for a smartphone that excels at communications, messaging and productivity. Having apps like the full Documents To Go suite that comes preinstalled, together with its 5” touch display, the BlackBerry Z30 smartphone gives you a best in class productivity experience on the go.”The new BlackBerry Z30 smartphone comes with BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, which includes hundreds of refinements plus many new features that help you be more productive. Among key features are:

BlackBerry® Priority Hub–BlackBerry® Hub is the one place to manage all your conversations and notifications. The new BlackBerry Priority Hub can now learn what conversations and what people are important to you making it fast and easy to find the messages and information you need. It collects priority messages across your email, social networking and other accounts and gives you instant access to the conversations most important to you to help you stay organized and focused on the most important tasks.

BBM™ Now inAny Appand Message Previews Everywhere–BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 continues to refine the unique communications experience of the platform. You can now get a preview of any message as it arrives in whatever app you’re using, and immediately dismiss it or tap it to read the full content and respond. If a BBM message arrives, you can instantly reply to the message without even leaving the app you’re in. In addition, if your phone is locked, you can tap the various icons on the Lock Screen to see an instant preview of your most recent messages and notifications.

5” Super AMOLED Display–The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone features the latest in display technologywith a 5” Super AMOLED display that makes whatever you’re running larger, clearer and more vivid. The smartphone also houses many top of the line components, including a 1.7 GHz processor with quadcore graphics that makes browsing web pages faster and games more detailed.

Stereo Audio and BlackBerry® Natural Sound– The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone comes with stereo speakers that immerse you in your music, videos, apps and games, and makes conversations sound like you’re face-to-face. BlackBerry Natural Sound is new technology exclusive to BlackBerry and part of BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 that makes BBM Voice and BBM Video chats sound more natural and realistic. BlackBerry Natural Sound lets you hear nuances and variations in tone, making conversations sound like you’re in the same room.

New Antenna Technology– The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone features BlackBerry’s new generation antenna technology that dynamically tunes reception to give you better connectivity in low signal areas. BlackBerry® Paratek Antenna can give you faster data transfers and fewer dropped calls in low signal areas, keeping you connected in more places.

Longer Battery Life– The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone includes a 2880 mAh battery, the largest battery ever built into a BlackBerry smartphone. Combined with the battery enhancements in BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, you can get up to 25 hours of mixed use* to keep you moving from dawn ‘til dawn.

The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone will roll out from select carriers and retailers around the world beginning next week in the UK and Middle East, and all other regions going into the holiday season. Specific pricing and availability will be announced by partners at the time of their respective launches. A variety of accessories including cases and chargers will also be available.Subject to carrier approvals, BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 is expected to be available for the BlackBerry® Z10, BlackBerry® Q10 and BlackBerry® Q5 smartphones beginning mid-October.For more information about the BlackBerry Z30 smartphone, please visit www.blackberry.com/blackberryz30. To view a video of the new smartphone, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQVKISYQ31s and for “How To” videos, visit http://demos.blackberry.com/blackberry-z30/na/ca/gen/index.html.

About BlackBerry A global leader in wireless innovation, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. BlackBerry is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: BBRY) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BB). For more information, visitwww.blackberry.com.